56 THE TROTTING-HORSE OF AMERICA. 



over with Rattler ; and the gentlemen who had Alexant ler 

 no sooner saw him ride the former against the Birmingham 

 mare than they got him to go and look at Alexander. 

 Whelan found the horse in his stable, well taken care of, 

 and in fair condition ; so that, at first, he was at a loss to 

 know why he would not trot. However, he told them to 

 throw a saddle on him, and let him take a little jog with 

 him. Forthwith, the groom came out of the harness-room 

 with a hridle and bridoon-bit; whereupon says Whelan, 

 " What are you going to do with that ? " 



"Put it on Alexander." 



" No, you don't ! " says Whelan, and went into the room 

 to look out a hridle and hit for himself. There was, he says, 

 a tremendous array of all sorts of hits, and instruments of 

 torture, that had been got together " to hold Alexander." 

 He managed, however, to find a plain snaffle, and put that 

 on him. Everybody there looked at him as if he was a luna- 

 tic ; but Bill jumped into the saddle, and jogged away with 

 Alexander. He coaxed him, and clucked to him ; and by 

 and by Alexander, as he lengthened his stride and quick- 

 ened his action, began to pull upon the plain snaffle. But 

 Whelan was something of a puller himself; and, instead of 

 his pull being the main haul of strength and stupidity, the 

 hand of a master was upon the bridle. He warmed Alex- 

 ander up in a good stretch, and then brought him back by 

 the starting-place at such a rate as amazed the Englishmen 

 present. 



" That's the way we ride our trotters in America," said 

 Whelan. " Alexander is as good as ever he was. You may 

 match him against any thing in this country but Battler j 

 and I'll engage he won't lose it, if I ride him." 



A match was soon made ; and the American horse Alex- 

 ander, ridden by Whelan, won it with ridiculous ease. I 

 have mentioned this for the purpose of impressing upon the 

 reader the immense importance of a light, firm, sensational 

 hold upon the reins. Mere dragging is of the" utmost mis- 



